Our Mission

CHILD, Inc.’s mission is to be the leading advocate for Delaware’s children. We provide creative prevention and treatment programs that meet the changing needs of families. We serve dependent, neglected and abused children and their parents. We provide programs for those involved in domestic violence situations, especially children. By protecting the victims and treating those responsible for acts of domestic violence we help children heal.

History

Since 1963, CHILD, Inc. has been helping the children and families of Delaware. The organization was originally incorporated in 1963 as the Boys Home, but in 1973 became CHILD, Inc. as the organization expanded its focus from serving neglected, dependent and abused boys in a group home setting to providing services for the entire family. As CHILD, Inc. endeavored to treat the entire family, the agency quickly learned that in many of these families there were high incidences of domestic violence. Since services for victims of domestic violence were non-existent during the mid-seventies, CHILD, Inc. began developing programming for these families.

Today CHILD, Inc. provides a comprehensive array of programs for children and families. These programs include counseling services for children and families, foster care homes, Delaware’s only shelter for abused and neglected children, parent education, two shelters for battered women and their children, advocacy for domestic violence victims, a domestic violence hotline and a family visitation center. In addition, for the last twenty years CHILD, Inc. has been providing a resource center in the economically deprived community of Sparrow Run. In 2014, CHILD, Inc. expanded its commitment to the families of Sparrow Run by opening a safe haven for children which we call the Kids Place. The Kids Place is a stable environment where children can meet after school, under the supervision and guidance of CHILD, Inc. staff to work on homework, participate in recreational and cultural enrichment activities and just be kids.